I write a lot.
Actually no, I think about writing a lot. For a lot of artists I know, their work is in the process, not necessarily the final product. And while I’m not like that for my art myself, I certainly am with my writing.
Research, planning, more research, outlines, worldbuilding and character development. Which involves more research. I research a lot.
But that comes from my own writing process – I can’t even begin to write without a clear image in my mind and that clear image only comes from the worldbuilding and research I’ve done. And the planning, and the outlines.
And usually, my researching and creating brings up some interesting thoughts: how can these things transfer into this genre? How can these genres expand to include cultures and societies different than the standard we see? How can these kinds of characters be handled differently? How should these issues be handled in genre fiction? If at all?
Maybe someone else will find it useful. Who knows. But I can’t help it, I overthink things.
Ashley Deng is a Canadian born Chinese Jamaican writer with a love of fantasy and all things Gothic. She studied biochemistry with a particular interest in making accessible the often-cryptic world of science and medicine. When not writing, she spends her spare time overthinking society & culture, and genre fiction.
Overthinking Everything 